Page 18 of Taking a King
I can’t sit still, so I pace around the small apartment. Claire’s only been gone for a half hour, but it feels like longer. I pick up my phone half a dozen times, checking for messages or missed calls. I type out several texts to her but delete them without sending them. She’s an adult. She says she can handle her brothers and I have no doubt she’s right. I just don’t like feeling useless. I hate not being able to help her.
On what feels like my millionth trip around the living room, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I scramble and nearly drop it in my haste to answer it. I don’t even look at who’s calling.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end of the line is the absolute last one I expect to hear.
“Young. Why the hell is my sister here defending your honor while you’re sitting on your ass somewhere out of the line of fire?”
Ronan. I should have known he’d have something to say.
“The line of fire?” I repeat. “Is there going to be shooting this time?”
“Figure of speech,” Ronan says. “Besides, I left my gun at home.”
“Lucky for her, huh?” I say, sarcasm dripping from my words.
“Lucky for you, too,” Ronan says. “Because I expect you to be here in 10 minutes.”
His tone seems calmer than it had been last night. Still, this could be a trick to lure me to dinner and ambush me with his entire family to back him up. Though, what he could stand to gain from that is beyond me.
“Why isn’t Claire calling me instead of you?” I ask.
Ronan sighs. “Because she doesn’t know I’m inviting you.”
“Why not?”
Ronan’s tone hardens in annoyance. “Look, I’m trying to be the bigger person here. According to some, I might have acted a little rashly last night when I tried to arrest you.”
I hear a woman’s voice in the background. “Might have?”
Ronan sighs again. His next words are pitched lower, and I can tell he’s not talking to me. “I said I was sorry. I’m trying.”
“You need to apologize to him, not me,” the woman says. I feel myself smiling. I assume the mystery speaker is Quinn. I haven’t actually met her, but I think I like her.
“That’s what I’m trying to do here,” Ronan mutters. “If the jackass will just accept my invitation and come to dinner.”
I smile. That’s the Ronan I know. “The jackass accepts,” I say in a cheery tone. “I’m on my way.”
Chapter Ten
Claire
Dinner settles into its usual routine. Conversation and laughter flow around the table mixed with the clinking of spoons in bowls. It’s almost like last night didn’t happen. Until the front door opens, and everyone turns to stare at the man who just entered.
“Garrett.”
His name is out of my mouth before I even realize I’ve said it. I can feel eyes on me as my everyone turns to look from Garrett back to me. My own gaze is locked on him. He stands near the door looking confident and self-assured rather than nervous as I’d have expected him to me. What’s he doing here? We’d agreed to let me handle this. I realize that no one has moved or spoken since Garrett walked in. The silence is quickly becoming awkward. I jump to my feet and hurry over to where he’s standing.
“You came,” I say. When I reach his side, I whisper. “Why did you come?”
“Your brother called me,” Garrett whispers, leaning down to kiss my cheek.
I rear back in surprise. “Which one?” I realize too late that I didn’t whisper that last part.
“I called him,” Ronan says from behind me. “I thought it would be the best way for the family to get to know your new boyfriend.”
There’s a slight edge to Ronan’s voice, but I don’t hear the hostility from last night. I turn back to face the table and see that Ronan has pulled up another chair alongside mine and Van is setting out another serving of stew for Garrett. My shock must be evident on my face.